What did Jomini mean by lines of operation?

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strategy Detail of the Bayeux Tapestry depicting an English soldier in combat with Norman cavalry during the Battle of Hastings, wool on linen, 11th-century; in the Bayeux Tapestry Museum, France.

In his influential work on military strategy, Henri, baron de Jomini defined lines of operation as the pathways or routes by which a general maneuvers an army to dominate a specific zone of operations.1

For Jomini, the selection of these lines was the central problem in successful military planning. By choosing the correct lines of operation, a commander could effectively control the theater of war and position their forces to achieve a decisive advantage over the enemy. His systematic approach to these concepts, detailed in works such as the Summary of the Art of War, helped establish the foundational principles of modern military thought by clearly distinguishing between strategy, tactics, and logistics.1